1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.3. Life is too short not to enjoy it.4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.5. Don't buy stuff you don't need.6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.9. Save for things that matter.10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye" But don't worry; God never blinks.16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.19. It's never too late to be happy. But it's all up to you and no one else.20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.24. The most important sex organ is the brain.25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words, 'In five years, will this matter?'27. Always choose Life.28. Forgive but don't forget.29. What other people think of you is none of your business.30. Time heals almost everything. Give Time time.31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.33. Believe in miracles.34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.37. Your children get only one childhood.38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'dgrab ours back.41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you think you need.42. The best is yet to come"43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.44. Yield.45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

At 10/9/2012 6:34:35 PM, Wallstreetatheist wrote:What are some basic lessons you would recommend?

Paraphrasing the Buddha here; don't believe it just because someone told you it is true.

Romney lied!!!

Beware of the people who are in your circle but are not in your corner.

And with the stroke of a pen people 18 to 21 who own a gun became criminals and public enemy #1 having committed no crime and having said nothing. Just like the Jews in Germany during WW2. Must be a weird feeling.

When I hear people crying and whining about their first world problems I think about the universe with everything in it and people in wheelchairs and all of their problems go away.

At 10/9/2012 6:34:35 PM, Wallstreetatheist wrote:What are some basic lessons you would recommend?

I've actually written an as of now incomplete list of important life lessons I've learned from my limited experiences and studies, and so far I've got 14:

1) Be reasonable

2) Be calm

3) Understand the absurdity and peculiarity of everything in existence, especially your own existence; it will humble you and make life far more fun and fascinating, and less burdensome

4) Be empathetic:a) understand that very few people are truly malicious in their actions or opinions, almost everyone tries to be good (under their understanding of goodness) most of the timeb) understand that for the most part, we all want the same things - happiness, success, love

5) Truly understand that humanity, homo sapiens, is just another species of animals; our DNA is 99% the same as chimpanzees; like all animals, we need food, we want to reproduce and provide the best for our offspring, we prefer enjoyment over pain, we have animal instincts, and we are imperfect. Therefore, don't expect perfection from anyone, because he or she is just an animal, albeit more able to reason and be intelligent than most kinds.

6) Recognize that all anger is just a mask for sadness, a natural defense mechanism to compensate against those you feel have physically or emotionally harmed you; if you ever feel angry you should, instead of wallowing in your anger or acting out physically or verbally against others, ask yourself why you feel angry, get to the root of your sadness, and do what you can about it.

7) Understand that everything is relative to one's perception, nothing is truly objective, and human reason has its limitations.

8) Do and pursue what you love and don't ever settle for mediocrity if you aren't forced to, regardless of traditional social norms. Always have an insatiable appetite for knowledge of whichever areas of study you love the most. In other words, if you've got interests/hobbies, give them your all, and immerse yourself in them fully. This, above all, is the mark of greatness and of the genius - an obsessive interest/dedication to the field(s) that means most to you and the willingness to do what you must to achieve something great in that field.

9) The most fulfilling and enjoyable friendships are the ones in which you and the other person have both attained such a level of love, empathy, and selflessness that the friendship takes on a life of its own, and decisions pertaining to the friendship are not made based on what is right for you or for the other person, but what is right for the friendship, which is in turn right for both you and the other person. (Same pertains to all close relationships.)

10) Accept, reflect on, and mentally confront your mortality; don't wait until you're forced to do so by old age; live each day in defiance of death; you will find that everything is more meaningful and precious to you as result of your understanding that you and every conscious being you know is mortal and finite and will eventually cease consciousness.

11) Understand that nature, and thus life, is not conducive or hostile to your needs and wishes; it is merely indifferent.

12) Don't get caught up in blaming others for your problems. It might be their fault and even their responsibility to fix them, but blame and grudges are heavy burdens to bear, they take their toll on you, and you will lead a much more active, satisfying, progressive lifestyle by assuming as much control/self-responsibility as you can.

13) Accept that which cannot be changed.

14) Giving gifts (whether physical or not) selflessly, with no expectations of payment in return, usually feels better and is more meaningful than getting them.

At 10/9/2012 6:57:54 PM, tvellalott wrote:Paraphrasing the Buddha here; don't believe it just because someone told you it is true.

One of the great quotes in human history. It doesn't bring you more comfort, but less. I think ideological comfort in what you read or what people tell you is a recipe for intellectual stagnant. Conversely, skepticism and falsifiability of all of your beliefs affords you room for intellectual growth. As the Great FREEDO of DDOia said, "Thinking stops where ideology begins." I wonder what the world would look like if everyone was skeptical about claims from authority.

Ones I really liked!1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.3. Life is too short not to enjoy it.4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.19. It's never too late to be happy. But it's all up to you and no one else.25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.27. Always choose Life.33. Believe in miracles.34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you think you need.42. The best is yet to come"

Reading the list just made me reflect on something I've been thinking for a while now. The belief in God does provide a kind of peace in life. when things go bad, it isn't you who messed up' he'll take care of you. I wish I could go back, maybe I should try spirituality for a little while.

At 10/9/2012 6:34:08 PM, Wallstreetatheist wrote:1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.3. Life is too short not to enjoy it.4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.5. Don't buy stuff you don't need.6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.9. Save for things that matter.10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye" But don't worry; God never blinks.16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.19. It's never too late to be happy. But it's all up to you and no one else.20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.24. The most important sex organ is the brain.25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words, 'In five years, will this matter?'27. Always choose Life.28. Forgive but don't forget.29. What other people think of you is none of your business.30. Time heals almost everything. Give Time time.31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.33. Believe in miracles.34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.37. Your children get only one childhood.38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'dgrab ours back.41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you think you need.42. The best is yet to come"43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.44. Yield.45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Interesting, Wallstreetatheist.

"Well, that gives whole new meaning to my assassination. If I was going to die anyway, perhaps I should leave the Bolsheviks' descendants some Christmas cookies instead of breaking their dishes and vodka bottles in their sleep." -Tsar Nicholas II (YYW)

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye" But don't worry; God never blinks.33. Believe in miracles.34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

Interesting, Wallstreetatheist.

BELEB IN IT! A lot of these "miracles" can be chalked up to coincidence. His belief in God doesn't really poison the well with his other lessons.

I AM THE CHOSEN ONE
I AM THE GRAND POOBAH OF DDO
I AM THE BOOGIE MAN
I AM THE REAL LIFE SANTA CLAUSE
I AM THE PARADOXICAL ZEBRA PRANCING THROUGH THE GRASSY PLANES YOUR COGNITIVE EXPERIENCE
I AM THE REINCARNATION OF THE DEAD DREAMS OF HUMANITY
I AM THE DISH WHO RAN AWAY WITH THE SPOON
I am your friend.

"The solution [for Republicans] is to admit that Bush was a bad president, stop this racist homophobic stuff, stop trying to give most of the tax cuts to the rich, propose a real alternative to Obamacare that actually works, and propose smart free market solutions to our economic problems." - Distraff

"Americans are better off in a dynamic, free-enterprise-based economy that fosters economic growth, opportunity and upward mobility." - Paul Ryan

At 10/9/2012 6:34:35 PM, Wallstreetatheist wrote:What are some basic lessons you would recommend?

This list is too expansive to be useful. Study of the seven deadly sins can yield all these results without the subjectivity and complexity.

Exactly. These life lessons have a lot more than 90 years in the making.

But we try to pretend, you see, that the external world exists altogether independently of us.
- - - WattsThe moralist is the person who tells people that they ought to be unselfish, when they still feel like egos, and his efforts are always and invariably futile.
- - - Watts